If we study the condition and attributes of the slave of Most Merciful, we will know from their concern and from their high standing that joy would not be brought to their eyes unless they saw that they were people who are obedient to their Lord, upon knowledge and action.

Just as this is a supplication for the rectification of their wives and offspring, it is also a supplication for themselves, since its benefit returns to them. It is this reason that they take it to be a gift granted to them and therefore say,

هَبۡ لَنَا

<<…grant us (as a gift).>> Indeed their supplication brings benefit to the Muslims in general, since the rectification of those mentioned is a means of rectifying many other people who have a connection to them, and so benefit from them.

وَٱجۡعَلۡنَا لِلۡمُتَّقِينَ

<<… and make us leaders who are followed upon good by those dutiful to Allaah,>> Then meaning of this is ‘O Lord, cause us to reach this high level’- the level of Siddeeqoon (the true and sincere followers of the Messengers, who attest to the truth) and the most complete of the righteous slaves of Allaah, which is the level of leadership in the Religion. They ask that, in their sayings and their actions, they should be made an example for those dutiful to Allaah, that their actions should be followed, that the people have confidence in their sayings, and that the people of good follow on behind then so that they, themselves are upon the guidance and give guidance to others.

As is known a supplication to attain something is also a supplication to whatever is essential to achieve its attainment. This level of leadership in religion cannot be achieved except by means of patient perseverance (sabr) and certain faith (Yaqeen, as He, The Most High, said:

<<And we made from them leaders who were followed upon good, when they had patience and certain Faith in Our Signs>>[Sooratus-Sajdah(32):24]

This supplication therefore necessitates deeds , and patience upon obedience to Allaah; upon avoiding disobedience to Him; upon that which He has decreed to occur that is painful and upon complete knowledge which leads the person to the level of certain Faith(Yaqeen).Thus it results in the bountiful good and abundant award that they should be upon a level which, after then Messengers, is the highest possible level for the creation. Therefore, He will reward them with the highest levels.

Extracted from The book : The Characteristics of The Slave of The Merciful.
Translated By Aboo Talhah Dawood Ibn Ronald Burbank Rahimahullaah

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Tafseer Ibn Kathir

(74. And those who say: “Our Lord! Bestow on us from our wives and our offspring the comfort of our eyes, and make us leaders of those who have Taqwa.”)

His saying:

(And those who say: “Our Lord! Bestow on us from our wives and our offspring the comfort of our eyes…”) means those who ask Allah to bring forth from their loins offspring who will obey Him and worship Him and not associate anything in worship with Him. Ibn `Abbas said, “This means (offspring) who will strive to obey Allah and bring them joy in this world and the Hereafter.”

Imam Ahmad recorded that Jubayr bin Nufayr said: “We sat with Al-Miqdad bin Al-Aswad one day, and a man passed by and said, “How blessed are these two eyes which saw the Messenger of Allah ! Would that we had seen what you saw and witnessed what you witnessed.” Al-Miqdad got angry, and I was surprised, because the man had not said anything but good. Then he turned to him and said, “What makes a man wish to be present when Allah had caused him to be absent, and he does not know how he would have behaved if he had been there By Allah, there are people who saw the Messenger of Allah , and Allah will throw them on their faces in Hell because they did not accept him or believe in him. Are you not grateful that Allah brought you forth from your mothers’ wombs believing in your Lord and in what your Prophet brought, and that the test went to others and not to you Allah sent His Prophet during the most difficult time that any Prophet was ever sent, after a long period of ignorance, when the people could see no better religion than the worship of idols, and he brought the Criterion which distinguishes truth from falsehood and which would separate a father from his son. A man would realize that his father, son or brother was a disbeliever, and since Allah had opened his heart to Faith, he knew that if his relative died he would go to Hell, so he could not rest knowing that his loved one was in the Fire. This is what Allah referred to in the Ayah,

(And those who say: “Our Lord! Bestow on us from our wives and our offspring the comfort of our eyes…”) Its chain of narrators is Sahih, although they did not report it.

(and make us leaders of those who have Taqwa.) Ibn `Abbas, Al-Hasan, As-Suddi, Qatadah and Rabi` bin Anas said: “Leaders who would be taken as examples in good.” Others said: “Guides who would call others to goodness.” They wanted their worship to be connected to the worship of their children and offspring, and their guidance to go beyond themselves and benefit others. This would be more rewarding and a better end, as it was recorded in Sahih Muslim from Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the Messenger of Allah said:

(When a son of Adam dies, his deeds cease apart from three: a righteous child who will pray for him, knowledge from which others may benefit after him, or ongoing charity.)

Share this, Baarakallaah Feekum: [“One who guides to something good has a reward similar to that of its doer” - Saheeh Muslim vol.3, no.4665]